For anyone who thinks this goes too far
Maybe you think I'm being too harsh.
Maybe you think President Kotlikoff deserves the benefit of the doubt. Here's why I don't.
If this is how Cornell responds to allegations that a student was drugged and gang raped, what happens to the student whose case is less clear-cut? The one without a group chat. The one who isn't sure anyone will believe her.
Cornell's own numbers should worry everyone. Reported on-campus rapes dropped from 23 in 2024 to just 6 in 2025, according to Cornell's annual security reports. But its own campus-wide survey found sexual misconduct increased across every measure. Fewer reports doesn't mean fewer assaults. It means fewer students trust the system.
But this isn't just a Cornell issue.
A 2025 Washington State University study of national crime data found that college women ages 18 to 24 face a 74% higher risk of sexual violence than women the same age who aren't in college.
For women living on campus, the risk is triple that of commuter students.
The AAU Campus Climate Survey, the largest of its kind, found that 1 in 6 undergraduate women experience rape while enrolled.
And according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, only about 20% of college women who are assaulted report it to police.
That's an epidemic.
President Kotlikoff was paid nearly $1.3 million, according to Cornell's tax filings, during the same year Cornell handled this case. Leadership at that level comes with responsibility for every student on that campus.
University presidents have been held accountable for this before. Baylor removed its president in 2016. Michigan State's president resigned in 2018. Penn State's president was ousted in 2011. Each time, it sent a message to every school in the country.
Even the City of Ithaca has had enough.
According to The Cornell Daily Sun, Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo, a Cornell alum, has called for an immediate moratorium on all student and special event permits, including Greek Life events. He called the University administration's response "appalling."
In his statement, the mayor said the moratorium will stay in place until Cornell conducts an accounting of its protocols to prevent and prosecute sexual violence and publicly releases new standards to keep the community safe.
That's exactly what this petition demands. The city is holding Cornell accountable. Now the Board of Trustees needs to do the same.
When CNN asked Jane Doe's attorney what she wants most, the answer was simple: for these men to be held accountable. Two years later, she's still waiting.
Jane Doe deserves justice, and she's worth fighting for.
I'm not a Cornell student. I don't have to be.
How many women have to be failed before we stop putting an institution's reputation ahead of a woman's life?
If you're waiting for a moment worse than this one to take a stand, ask yourself what that moment looks like. Then ask yourself who it happens to.
Cornell had two years to get this right. They made their choice. Now it's time to make yours.
Sign, share, and email the Board: trustees@cornell.edu
Sources:
Cornell's reported rapes (23 in 2024):
https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2025/09/cornell-2025-annual-security-report-crimes-related-to-sexual-assault-decline-slightly-accounting-for-reported-cases-only
Cornell's reported rapes (6 in 2025):
https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2026/09/2026-annual-security-report-released-reported-on-campus-rape-dating-violence-decreases-while-stalking-increases
Cornell's survey showing misconduct increased:
https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2025/11/all-forms-of-sexual-assault-misconduct-increase-in-2025-university-wide-survey
Washington State University study (74% and triple risk):
https://news.wsu.edu/press-release/2025/11/05/study-college-women-face-greater-risk-of-sexual-violence-than-others/
Bureau of Justice Statistics https://bjs.ojp.gov/document/rsavcaf9513.pdf
Kotlikoff's pay:
https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/150532082
CNN interview:
https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/28/us/cornell-university-sexual-assault-lawsuit-hnk